


The Homebeast

by MaskedMildew



Series: Self-Indulgent Monster Fics [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Chinese Mythology & Folklore, Human/Monster Romance, Other, Teratophilia, the OC is ambiguous in general so it's kinda like a reader/monster thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-08
Updated: 2018-09-08
Packaged: 2019-06-27 17:16:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15689856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaskedMildew/pseuds/MaskedMildew
Summary: An unsuspecting human took a beast home with it.The beast is very thankful.





	The Homebeast

**Author's Note:**

> Also posted on Tumblr @monsterato 
> 
> The main protagonist is pretty ambiguous, they can be whoever you want them to be, but it's pretty heavily-implied that this story takes place in China.

This all began a few nights after I'd first moved into a new home in the countryside. I was thankful to get away from the noise and business of the city, I'd been wanting to do so for some time. On the first night out here, I... unpacked. I had plenty of boxes that had to be sorted-out, so I didn't get to do much else! But the next night, and every night afterwards, I would go on a walk. Both to learn more about the area, and to be out in nature. 

There was a river just a few-minute's walk behind the house. A neighbour told me about it. Apparently it was a good time to check it out, as the bugs were just starting to hide away for the fall. My interest had been piqued immediately, but I hadn't expected much else besides a serene setting to watch for a little while. 

Out of the corner of my eye, I'd sworn I had seen something glow. Turning to look, I just found a bit of cloth sticking out of the water, but I was curious enough to walk over. Maybe I could fish-out an old kite or something. If it wasn't all that interesting, I'd at least be able to throw it out properly.

Getting nearer, I realized that whatever was below the water was much larger than I'd believed- and the river much deeper. I became more interested, quickening my pace to get to the shore sooner. Only when I'd stopped and knelt beside the water did I realize that what was inside resembled a giant lion puppet. This one wasn't too sizable in comparison from what I could tell that night, but it would still be intimidatingly-large if it were alive. 

I remember having that thought then. I spooked myself (just a little!) thinking that maybe this puppet had set a lure and was waiting for me to take the bait so it could do something evil, like dragging me under the water...

I quickly cleared my head of that thought. Even so, when I reached forward to grab the bit of cloth, I was hesitant. Thankfully, nothing happened when my fingers did latch onto it, and I began tugging the heavy, waterlogged material onto solid ground.

I stepped away, out of breath, and stood back to get a good look at the collapsed thing I'd just fished-up. It was bigger than I first realized, and in surprisingly-good shape despite it's previous state. There were only a few cuts and tears in the fabric, and some of the rods (Which were thicker than normal. They kind of looked like ribs) were broken or bent in an odd way. 

The puppet had such a charm to it. I couldn't believe anyone would throw it away, so I just assumed it had blown away or fell into the river by accident. 

Upon further inspection, the puppet was not of a lion, and it didn't resemble a dragon either. It looked like a completely-different beast, though still with the same designs as any other mythological Chinese creature. The part I'd dragged it out of the water by was a fin, and the gray fabric that was it's skin was detailed in silver thread to give it the illusion of having scales. It had a lovely mane, is what I  _would_ say if it weren't soaked in water and tangled, and it's snout and teeth were ghastly. I loved it.

At that point, I'd decided I would take this home to work on patching it up in my shed. Pulling it home without getting any more tears in the fabric was a challenge I was willing to overcome.

* * *

 

After that night, the puppet was laid-out as best I could on the floor of my (thankfully) spacious shed. I left it and decided to head to bed early, suddenly drained. 

The next morning I'd woken up with a feeling of excitement, but I couldn't remember what for until it hit me all at once. My excitement only grew as I got on my morning clothes and brushed my teeth and went to make a little breakfast, which I was so impatient to finish eating that I just brought it to the shed with me. Seeing the beast puppet still laying on the shed floor was a brilliant payoff for the sore muscles I'd developed from dragging it around last night.

I hadn't even finished my food completely before getting to work on it.

First came sewing-up the tears and covering holes with the most fitting fabric I had. It was quite relaxing. I spent the whole day doing this alone, and my hand was tired and aching at the end of it, but I was overjoyed with the end result. I'd thought it was a trick on my eyes at the time, but the puppet's colour seemed to be returning.

After a large dinner (I'd forgotten about lunch) I retired for another early night.

When I awoke the next morning, I felt the same sense of excitement and purpose. I went to the shed and finished sewing-up any holes I might have missed the day before, and began doing my best to bend the metal ribs back to their original form. This wasn't easy, and it didn't look perfect in the end, but I still managed to make them look somewhat-passable. I stuck them back through their loops, and now the beast had form.

With the help of the metal ribs, it could stand up somewhat, and that gave me an appreciation for it's size. The beast was beginning to look magnificent, and I hadn't realized it, but the fabric was much more colourful than it had been on the first day.

I decided I would start trying to brush-out it's mane. As much of a mess it was, I found the action to be quite calming. The Main was fluffiest around the neck, but it trailed down the beast's neck and chest. There was plenty to brush. I was nearly disappointed when it ended.

It took an hour or so to finish the mane, and I neglected to acknowledge the puppet's changing colour and the addition of details on it's body. When I sat back to judge my handiwork, I was completely satisfied. The beast was gorgeous. 

I would have to figure out what to do with it in the morning, because for now I was tired.

I didn't go into the shed the next morning. I still had a few things to work on since moving, including making sure I got a new job. There was also a sale at the market downtown, and I'd been meaning to get to know the place better.

Once I'd come home in the evening, I went and made dinner. A read a bit of a book... I'd almost forgotten about the puppet in my shed until I spaced-out in the middle of a page and felt that I was missing something...

The book was shut, and tossed haphazardly on my table. I stepped outside and slipped-into my shoes, not bothering to put them on properly. It was a bit chilly, but I just wanted to go out and check on the project for just a moment--

When I pulled the shed door open, I stared at the clear floor. My gaze was intense, I could've burned holes into the old wood panels. Nothing out of the ordinary in the shed. I stepped back. Blinked, rubbed my eyes. I was so confused. Had I really imagined it? I was used to having great things turn out to be nothing, but this seemed a bit much.

After a bit longer, and with a suddenly-tired heart, I shut the shed and began the short walk back home. Maybe it was foolish of me to think my life could have any outstanding moments, it'd seemed all too exciting and I hadn't questioned it. 

Before I got to the door, I began to get more frustrated. When my hand was on the handle, I was fuming about how someone must have broken-in and stolen the beast. I felt ready to cry. 

The door was flung open with more force than necessary, and my shoes were kicked-off before I entered the home. I shut the door immediately behind me, staring frustrated at the door before I turned around...

To see that my house had suddenly filled with a sparkling mist. My eyes widened, and all of my previous troubles vanished from my mind. Intricate lines detailing flowers and trees as if they were painted on canvas glowed red on my walls, and the floor at the opposite end of the house glowed a faint yellow. I walked forward, entranced. The house itself hadn't actually changed, I noted. 

I was too interested to even think about why I might be seeing this. I took a seat at the table, my book still there from moments before. I simply stared. The back of my mind wondered if I was having some sort of drug trip.

Before long, the upstairs began to glow. Just as my attention was brought to that, something large materialized in the corner of my vision and I jumped, falling off of my chair in an attempt to get away from whatever it was.

When I was pressed-against the wall of my small living area, I stared with wide eyes at a beast floating just barely above the floor. 

It's thick eyebrows were a furious, glittering red. It's eyes were wide and it's curled fangs were sharp as ever. Gold lined the scales that ran down it's sides. It's skin was a deep blue-green, and the mane that was thickest at it's neck and ran down to it's haunches was a lighter _green-blue_. I noticed soon that the beast didn't have an underside or legs.

In fact, it's body seemed hollow, almost as if it were a kite or an old canvas-covered wagon...

Realization struck me. My head tilted up to regard the beast's face once again. "Are you the...?" I decided I must have been dreaming.

The beast neared, the sound of jingling bells following it. Once it was near enough to be that I could feel the hot air billowing out of it's nose, it... spoke. It's mouth never moved, but I could tell that it was the one speaking. 

"You've given me life again." It started, "The dragon of the river accidentally pulled me into it's waters, believing me to be a simple human creation. In the water, my spirit was trapped. Soaked into the holy canvas I am made from so that I could not escape." 

The voice was nearly as calming as the beautiful fog. I found myself relaxing, listening closely to everything said. 

"I am indebted to you, human," It's head shook and jingled like a lion puppet would at a festival. "I will give your home beauty and protection. I will watch over you."

A blush rose to my cheeks as I attempted to stand. The beast was larger than it had been as a puppet. "But..." I tried, "What do you want in return?"

The beast stared at me for a long while. I felt my anxiety rising.

It's head shook again, and it twisted-- uncannily-like a puppet at a festival-- to face my kitchenette.

"Perhaps... food, every so often... would not hinder me." 

I watched, incredulous, before my head gave a quick nod. The fog was beginning to dissipate.

"Wh... what are you called?" I didn't want to be disrespectful. It told me I could call it the 'Jiashou', or Homebeast. I remember nodding slowly in understanding, eyes still wide as it disappeared and took any traces of it's existence with it. The event had almost immediately fogged in my mind, and I second-guessed my sanity.

When I went upstairs, ready for bed, I stared in awe at the small red lights flitting-about the ceiling. Even more beautiful was the smaller (but much longer, like a dragon) replica of the beast I'd just witnessed, also hung by the ceiling in a proud, stationary gallop. Right, it also had legs in this smaller form. The front were hooved, and the back were akin to Lion's.

I didn't think I could feel safer in my own home than I did in that moment.

And in the following years, the Jiashou would speak to me in my dreams. After a long day, it would appear. Sometimes it would appear purely to pawn me out of my food and snacks.

It especially liked when I sat down in my chair and brushed it's mane while it laid on the ground.

Recently, I've noticed the beast showing-up more often, and greeting me with even kinder and more familiar words. Sometimes, it let's me sleep on it's back. Other times, it sleeps in my bed. Just yesterday, it had transformed my living room into a vast, freeing expanse. We ran for miles, with me on it's back.

I think it is beginning to feel romantic feelings for me, but perhaps that's just my projecting...

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I'm not too proud with how I've written this one, but thank you for reading!


End file.
